IW_World Cafe Discussion

Edit 0 8 …
Fead Assessment Tool (FEAST)

  • FEAST needs to be part of an overall process
  • FEAST can play an important role in engaging the actors in that process
  • FEAST can be a useful tool, not just for the technical aspects but for engaging actors and is part of a process
  • How dynamic is the situation?

How Useful is FEAST?

  • Systematic approach (linked to Techfit)
  • Capture past and future trends
  • Capture local knowledge
  • Broad scope - livelihood components / livestock context + Business
  • Location specificity
  • Define scale
  • PRA & Structured Questions
  • Engaging different actors and policy makers!

How would you use it?

  • Systems analysis
  • Beginning of project design
  • Checklist design and identify key informants
  • Educational/capacity-building instiutions

Who and Where?
  • Project development, e.g. NGOs, development agencies
  • Ext. Res.
  • Private Sector
  • Policy-makers

Value Chain Analysis (VCA)

  • Issues raised:
  • How can the results reach the farmers?
  • Quantification issue – prioritizing the interventions should depend on the initial objective of conducting VCA

Is VCA useful?

  • Fast method, suits for other similar studies too
  • It is useful in that hidden problems which may not be identified by other tools could also be identified so that it simplifies to give suitable solution
  • It allows participation of all actors of the chain

Disadvantages

  • It tends to depend on the involvement of those actors/their knowledge & experience in the value to come up with the real problems and solutions.
  • The importance of VCA in identifying which feed component more prevalent in the market
  • How to see the role of outsiders
  • VCA - have people of different specializations - this helps to get different ideas
  • Problem of quantification
  • Problem of prioritizing interventions

Techfit

  • Helped clarify what the tool is about.
  • How are farmers involved in this process and to what extent does it involve farmers in decision making?
  • Useful because it brings farmers and local experts together to present some option which can then be tested.
  • Techfit is not a magic bullet.

AG-TECHFIT: FEED/CROPS/WATER/SOIL/BREED

  • Soft
  • Biophysical assessment important for forages
  • What is your problem vs. what do you have? - need to be asset-based
  • Magic bullet vs. basket of options
  • Do analysis with farmers
  • Sequencing - which order?
  • Involvement of farmers? Testing can be done on the spot.
  • Is it dynamic?
  • Bringing together farmer & expert knowledge
  • Scale? How does it fit with Government packages?